Spain urges EU to keep sanctions on “Israel” on its agenda

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called on the European Union on Monday to keep the issue of sanctions on “Israel” on its agenda until all stages of the Gaza ceasefire agreement are fully implemented.

Albares told reporters, ahead of his participation in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg today: “We have not yet made any significant progress regarding the goals we set. Not all prisoners and detainees have been released, and humanitarian aid has not yet been delivered. This is a completely new phase, and as we have seen, it is extremely fragile.”

He emphasized that the European Union is still far from the possibility of lifting the sanctions imposed on the “Israelis” who seize Palestinian lands in the West Bank.

The Spanish minister called for strengthening the EU’s presence in Gaza to ensure the agreement is consolidated, saying: “A permanent conflict cannot be allowed, as it would undermine the ceasefire, disrupt the flow of humanitarian aid, and prevent a normal future for Palestinians in Gaza.”

On September 10, the European Commission announced proposals to impose sanctions on the Israeli entity, the occupying power.

The proposals included restrictions such as suspending provisions allowing free movement of goods under the EU-Israel Partnership Agreement, imposing customs duties, and imposing sanctions on settlers seizing Palestinian lands, as well as on the Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.